Heat applying bandage



N0V 6, 1951 J. N. M. HoWELLs HEAT APPLYING BANDAGE Filed April 19, 1947 IN VEN TOR. MN M M /:weu s 4 TTOENEY Patented Nov. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3,573,791. HEAT APPLYING BANDAGE- J 01m N. M.. Howells, Rittern, Maine Application April`1'9, 1947, Serial N0. 742,657 2' Claims. (Cl. 1285-5821)' This invention relates to heat applying bandages);

It isan object of my invention to provide a heat applying bandage which'- has a self-powered heating means and, therefore, is. independent. of external sources of energy such as electricity, hot water or heat'y storage elements..

It is another object of my invention to provide al heat applying bandage. which is small and light,4 and iseasy to use.

It is a further object ofv my invention to provide a heat applying. bandage which is highly eicient in operation and whose` manufacturing cosltis'low` Y .In the drawings, in which is shown one of the variousJ possible. embodiments of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a heat applying bandage constructed in accordarme, with-the invention;

Fig.` 2. is a front View of said bandage as it appears when purchased;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the banda-ge after the protectiver facings have been removed;

Eig. 4 is an edge view of the bandage shown in Eis. 3.:

Fig. 5 is. an enlargedsectional view taken substantially along the line 5`-5 of Fig. il.;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View ofthe bandage illustrated in Eig. 3 with a portion of the dressing removed to show the self-poweredheating means, and

Fig. *l isa view similar to Fig. 6 with the' heating means readied for operation.

In general, I'l carry out-'my invention by providing a bandage comprising a layer of flexible material having one adhesive face on whichV there is secured an enclosure containing an exothermic mixture. The enclosure isV covered with a dressing and the dressing in turn covered with a protective facing which also coversy the portions* of the adhesive layer not overlain by the' dressing. The enclosure for the exother'mic mixture is imperforate but is provided with means to enable the same to-be opened so that said composition canV be energized in order to liberate heat.

Referring. now in detail to the drawings,A ID denotes a heatapplyingv bandage embodying my invention. Said bandage comprises a layer of flexible. material I2 which may be made from fabric and which has one face thereof covered in any conventional fashion with: a layer I3 of an adhesive. substance, such as is employed for example on surgical adhesive` tape. Said llayer I2 can be of any configuration, e. g. square, round or cross-shaped, and is illustrated herein as a strip. The central portion of the adhesive surface of the strip I2 supports a closed imperforate envelope I4 made of a iiexible impervious 2 material which is capable of being torn or ripped Without toov great an effort. A typical' such materia'l is regenerated cellulose v(cellophane) Said envelope' may beprepared from two'she'ets of cel-- l'ophane, having substantiallyA the same contour, except-for a tabdescribed hereinafter, the edges of the sheets being secured to each other, as by heatv sealing, after the envelope has been iilled. The envelope I4 contains anA enclosure I6 of impervious insoluble material, e. g. glazed paper or tingfoil', one race I8 whereof is-l provided with aplurality ofv through aperturesl 210. Inside the enclosure I6Y next to theper-forate lface Ill-` thereoi there is disposed a porous body 2-2 characterized by its ability to permit the passage or water' but notcpulverulent material. A- layer of fibrous material such as cotton batting, felt, or blottingpaper will function satisfactorily for the material of saidbody. A`- mass 24 of an exothermicmixture lis placed between this porous body and thei-mper-forate side of the envelope IB. Said mass may include any well known mixture of chemicals which when wettedY withl a fluid (pref erably water) will-v generate heat. The following suitable mixtures are given by way of example:

Example Il a l K Ounces Botassium, chlorate 1f Gupric .chloride 4 Powdered iron 20 Example II Ounces Activated charcoal l Example IH n Y Ounces Bowdered iron .l v. 10U Activatedcharcoal 1'0 Ferrie chloride l Example' IV Ounces Powdered iron: coo Cupric chloride' 6 Powdered aluminum 1.5

Example V' Ounces Powdered" aluminum 15v Cupriccarbo'jnate 15' Bariumchloridenm'. `1 Aluminum sulphate 2 Example YI Ounces Powdered magnesium 2 Powdered aluminum 1 Copper acetate 5 The envelope I4 which contains the enclosure I6 having the exothermic composition is secured to the strip I2 by the adhesive layer I3. Said envelope is completely covered by a layer 26 of a suitable dressing material, such for instance as gauze. This layer of dressing extends to both sides of the envelope I4 and the ends thereof are held to the strip I2 by portions of the adhesive layer I3;

To aid in keeping the gauze clean it is protected by a pair of thin facing strips 28 consisting for example of crinoline. Each facing strip is held to an end of the strip I2 by the adhesive layer I3 and the facings are long enough to overlap one another above the dressing 26.

Optionally, the entire bandage may be wrapped in a sealed envelope of some transparent material such as cellophane or glassine. All of the foregoing exothermic mixtures Will be energized to give oi heat when treated with water. However, if such mixtures are merely allowed to stand, the moisture in the atmosphere will suce to cause a slow reaction over an extended period of time and it is for this reason that said mixture is enclosed in the imperforate, impervious envelope I4. l

In order to enable water to be applied to th mixture at such time as the bandage is to be used, manually manipulatable means is provided to rip open the envelope I4, as for example by tearing off a portion. Said means as illustrated herein comprises a pair of thin flexible members 30, such as cord str ings, arranged in and secured to a side face of the envelope I4. Both strings are located on the inside of the envelope and are adhered to the envelope in any suitable fashion, for example by means of a cementitiousv compound or by being pressed into the envelope under the proper conditions of heat and pressure to securethe strings thereto. One end 36a of each string is disposed at or near one edge ofk the envelope I4 which is disposed at a lateral edge of the strip I2. The two strings extend toward the opposite edge of the envelope and converge toward each other as best seen in Figs. 6 and 7. At this opposite edge the strings turn in-toward one another as at 30D until theyv comesubstantially into contact. From such point the strings turn back toward the rst mentioned edge of the envelope, said strings being long enough to extend beyond this edge in order that they may be grasped and pulled.

It will be apparent that upon pulling the strings the same will progressively rip open the portions of the envelope which the strings underlie whereby to -pull back a trapezoidal patch 32 and form a corresponding large opening 34 in the envelope through which water may enter. To facilitate pulling of the strings and ripping out of the patch 32, said strings may be secured to a tab 36 integral with and extending from an edge of the envelope I4. This tab is folded back with the strings 30 and forms an integral part eration of heat. The pad now may be applied to a patient.

Optionally, the bandages may be furnished to supply different temperatures, this being accomplished either by adding an inert substance such as wood flour or sand to the exothermic mixture 24 or by delaying the reaction. This latter can be accomplished by incorporating the exothermic mixture in a water soluble binder, e-. g., carboxymethylcellulose.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a heat applying bandage which achieves the several objects of the invention and is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense, but any permissible change which may be eiected in the construction disclosed in this application must fall within the purview of the claims asserted therein.

. Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A heat applying bandage comprising an elongated exible strip having at least the ends thereof provided with an adhesive layer on one face, a dressing located over a portion of said face of the strip intermediate the ends thereof, an impermeable imperforate enclosure disposed between said strip and the dressing, said enclosure containing an envelope of impermeable insoluble material having a perforate portion, a water-activatable dry exothermic mixture within said envelope, and porous means in said envelope underneath the perforate portion to prevent said' mixture from leaving the envelope through the perforations.

2. A heat applying bandage comprising an elongated flexible strip having at least the ends thereof provided with an adhesive layer on one face, a dressing located over a portion of said face of the strip intermediate the ends thereof,

an impermeable imperforate enclosure disposed' between said strip and the dressing, said enclosure containing an envelope of impermeable insoluble material having a perforate portion, a

water-activable dry exothermic mixture Within' said envelope, and a fibrous mass in said envelope underneath the perforate portion to prevent said mixture from leaving the envelope through the perforations.

JOHN N. M. HOWELLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

